Serial data gauge

1. A gauge for a vehicle equipped with an on board diagnostic system (OBD), the gauge comprising a scan tool processor operative to frequently access the OBD to retrieve rapidly changeable vehicle operating conditions and to less frequently access the OBD to retrieve less rapidly changeable vehicle operating conditions to simulate continual monitoring of monitored vehicle operating conditions without exceeding processing limitations of the OBD.

2. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the rapidly changeable vehicle operating condition is vehicle speed and the less rapidly changeable vehicle operating condition is fuel level.

3. The gauge of claim 1 further comprising: a. a monitor in electronic communication with the OBD for receiving vehicle operating conditions data, the monitor being capable of simultaneously displaying data on at least two operating conditions of the vehicle; and b. different visual alarms simultaneously displayable on the monitor for the operating conditions that have exceeded an associated alarm threshold and are displayed on the monitor.

4. The gauge of claim 3 wherein at least one suggested remedial action is displayed on the monitor based on a combination of operating conditions that have exceeded the associated alarm threshold.

5. The gauge of claim 3 wherein at least one suggested remedial action is displayed on the monitor when at least one operating condition has exceeded the associated alarm threshold, the suggested remedial action being based on a combination of data collected on the operating condition which has exceeded the associated alarm threshold and on data on at least one other operating condition.

6. The gauge claim 3 wherein the operating conditions define a primary operating condition and the data on the remaining operating conditions define secondary operating conditions, the primary operating condition being displayed on the monitor in a larger format compared to the secondary operating conditions.

7. The gauge of claim 6 wherein depressing one of the secondary operating conditions is operative to change the depressed secondary operating condition into the primary operating condition.

8. An instrument for a vehicle equipped with an on board diagnostic system (OBD), the instrument comprising: a. a monitor in electronic communication with the OBD for receiving vehicle operating conditions data, the monitor having displayed thereon data on at least two operating conditions of the vehicle received from the OBD; b. at least some of the operating conditions being associated with an alarm threshold and a different visual alarm is displayed for each operating condition that has exceeded the associated alarm threshold; c. a first port located on a longitudinal edge of the monitor; d. a second port located on a lateral edge of the monitor; and e. wherein the visual alarm is an external warning light engageable with either the first or second port wherein engagement of the light with the first port displays the vehicle operating conditions data horizontally and engagement of the light with the second port displays the vehicle operating conditions data vertically.

9. An instrument for a vehicle equipped with an on board diagnostic system (OBD), the instrument comprising: a. a monitor in electronic communication with the OBD for receiving vehicle operating conditions data, the monitor having displayed thereon data on at least two operating conditions of the vehicle received from the OBD; b. at least some of the operating conditions being associated with an alarm threshold and a different visual alarm is displayed for each operating condition that has exceeded the associated alarm threshold; c. a port attached to the monitor; and d. wherein the visual alarm is an external warning light engageable with the port, the light having a pin uniquely positioned to contact respective pads of the port for setting a mode of the instrument.

10. A method of transforming a device communicable with an on board computer diagnostic system (OBD) into a real time gauge without exceeding the processing limitations of the OBD, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing a set of first and second vehicle operating conditions, the first vehicle operating conditions being more rapidly changeable then the second vehicle operating conditions; b. requesting information concerning first vehicle operating conditions from the OBD at a first rate; and c. requesting information concerning second vehicle operating conditions from the OBD at a second rate, the first rate being more frequent then the second rate.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the step of changing at least one of the first and second request rates in response to variations and the rate of change of vehicle operating conditions due to the vehicle being operated in alternate modes.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the first request rate is a multiple of the second request rate.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the step of repeating the requests for information concerning first and second vehicle operating conditions on an ongoing basis.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the step of requesting information concerning second vehicle operating conditions occurs substantially simultaneous with at least one of the steps of requesting information concerning first vehicle operating conditions.